Max Verstappen delivered a crucial blow in the Formula One world championship battle by securing pole position for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, his McLaren rival Lando Norris, who will start alongside him on the front row, retains a significant advantage in the title fight as the sport heads into its final showdown.
Three-Way Title Fight Sets Up Tense Finale
The qualifying session at the Yas Marina Circuit was a tense, high-stakes affair directly involving the three drivers still in mathematical contention for the crown. Verstappen's Red Bull ultimately proved fastest, with his best lap of 1:22.207 securing the top spot. McLaren's Lando Norris was a mere two-tenths of a second behind in second, while his teammate Oscar Piastri qualified third, just three-hundredths adrift of Norris.
Despite starting from P2, Norris holds the upper hand in the championship standings. The British driver leads Verstappen by 12 points and Piastri by 16. This means his destiny is firmly in his own hands: if Norris finishes ahead of both rivals, or claims third place or better, he will secure his maiden F1 world title. For Verstappen to win a second consecutive championship, he must win the race and hope Norris finishes off the podium. Piastri's task is even taller, requiring a victory and his teammate to finish sixth or lower.
Verstappen Finds Pace When It Matters
Verstappen's pole position, his eighth of the 2025 season, was a testament to his and Red Bull's ability to extract performance at the critical moment. After Norris had dominated practice, topping two of the three sessions, the Dutchman produced two exemplary laps in the final part of qualifying.
He set the initial benchmark in Q3 with a time of 1:22.295, benefitting from a slipstream tow from his AlphaTauri teammate, Yuki Tsunoda. As the track evolved and grip increased, the McLaren duo bolted on new tyres for their final attempts. Verstappen, again aided by Tsunoda, found even more time, improving to his ultimate pole-winning lap and fending off Norris's last-gasp effort.
The session was not without drama for Norris. In final practice, he had a major scare when he encountered a slow-moving Tsunoda on the racing line, forcing him to swerve off the track to avoid a collision. The Japanese driver apologised for the incident.
Hamilton's Torrid Season Continues
Further down the grid, Lewis Hamilton's miserable season hit another low. The seven-time world champion crashed heavily in third practice after a component failure on his Mercedes caused him to lose control and hit the barriers nose-first at turn nine.
Although the Ferrari team repaired the car for qualifying, Hamilton could only manage 16th place, eliminated in Q1 after a small error on his lap. This marks another failure to reach Q2 in a season where he is yet to score a single podium finish, a first in his illustrious career. A long final race now awaits to close out what he has described as his worst campaign in F1.
All eyes, however, will be on the front of the grid on Sunday. With the championship on the line and the three contenders separated by mere tenths of a second, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is poised for a spectacular and historic conclusion.
